


Seeing Red

by Socksareforcavemen



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AgedUp, F/M, Fluff, Heartbreak, buthedoesaroundmari, felixhatesshowingemotion, friendstolovers, ladybugmiraculoustransformation, makeoutslateron, marinette just needs to be loved, marinettefindssomeonenew, peacockmiraculous, pheonixmiraculous, roomateslateron, slightlyoutsideofcanon, veryslowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-20
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-10-08 14:07:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10388388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Socksareforcavemen/pseuds/Socksareforcavemen
Summary: Marinette has put Adrien on a pedestal all her life, but never realized that's what he did to her alter ego. Rejected by someone she thought was the love of her life, how will she balance the heartbreak in her civilian life with her superhero duties? The answer comes from a surprising source- a taciturn boy named Felix.





	1. Chapter One

"MR. AGRESTE, MR. AGRESTE," voices clamored around Adrien as he got out of the car. Gorilla's huge frame shielded the paparazzi flashes as he marched his young master up the steps. "Mr. Agreste, a word for your adoring fans!" "Will you be doing underwear modeling?" "WE LOVE YOU ADRIEN!" The last statement was shouted by a crowd of teenage girls in too tight clothes and too bright lipstick.  
Gorilla sighed. "Mr. Agreste will be unable to answer your questions the moment. Please make an appointment." And they were gone, up the steps of Collège François DuPont. It was the same routine, day in day out. Wake up at five, train with a power yoga instructor to keep up his model body, eat a pitiful breakfast, watching the news, and leave for school. All with fans clamoring outside. Adrien grew up surrounded by people, but it got tiring. It was much more fun to socialize as Chat Noir. But that was the life of an Agreste. 

Marinette sighed. She was late to school. Again. It was getting to be a habit, but what could she do? Ladybug duties kept her up late, but she was not a morning person. WHAM! Suddenly, she felt herself bang into someone's chest and tumbled to the ground.   
"Whoa!" A guy's voice, calm and cool, grabbed her shoulders and lessened her fall. "Are you alright?" Marinette looked up and saw blond hair, green eyes, and a gray shirt. For a moment, she thought the boy was Adrien, but she immediately saw differences. The eyes were less tilted and closer to blue,, the cheekbones and jawline more pronounced, the hair shaggier.  
"Oops, sorry." She gave the stranger a sweet, sheepish smile. "I'm late to school and I wasn't looking where I was going."  
He huffed. "Well that's kind of obvious." Swiftly, he pulled her up along with her books. And set them in her arms. "I'm Felix. Felix DelaCœur. And you are?" He raised an eyebrow.  
"Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It's nice to meet you, Felix."   
He looked taken aback. This girl got real friendly, real fast. "You too."  
Mari gasped as she looked at her watch. "Oh no! It's 7:55 already! School starts in 5 minutes, and I'm still ten minutes away!" Her face crumpled, and for a moment Felix thought she would cry. "I'll give you a ride. You go to the Collège, right?"  
Mari smiled again, sunny and breathtaking. "Oui, thanks!"   
Felix looked at his watch. "We better run. My car is parked on Hogwarts Boulevard.   
Mari grabbed his hand and took off. "Allons-y!"   
Marinette and Felix raced into the parking lot, chests heaving. Felix was surprised; the girl was a lot fitter than he gave her credit for. Mari pulled up short and skidded, falling back a little into Felix's chest. He caught her and pushed her back upright gently, resting his fingertips on the points of her elbows to minimize contact. "Whoa..." Mari breathed, eyes wide. "Is that... a Bugatti Veneno? Don't they cost like $750,000 or something?"   
Felix allowed himself a small smile. "$800,000, actually, with the custom paint and leather work. My mother likes our family to make a statement." He reflected on how, even though he didn't like to show off his money, having such a nice car was enjoyable.   
Mari smiled and trailed her fingers over the car's sleek hood. She didn't make any comments about how rich Felix must be to be able to afford it, which he appreciated. "Well, no sense wasting time. I can't wait to see how fast this baby can go!"


	2. Chapter Two

The answer to this? Very, very slowly. At least when Felix was driving. Mari huffed and leaned against the heated seat, enjoying its warmth in the crisp Parisian air. "You drive slower than my grandmother," she complained. "And she's 87."   
Felix glanced over. "Well, I don't think your grandma's car was this expensive. And if I'm going too slow, you can always hop out..." He raised his eyebrows meaningly at the curb.   
Mari gasped and shook her head vehemently, pigtails bouncing. "Nonono, I'll be good, I promise!" She clasped her hands under her chin and turned beseeching eyes at the older boy.  
Felix felt his face flush under her pleading gaze, but hid it under a thick draping of gruff scorn. "Well, if you want to stay here in your priviliged shot gun position, don't insult the driver. Clear?" He shot a steely gray stare at her, trying not to smile as she nodded and one of her pigtails hit her in the face.  
"Oof," Mari disentangled the offending hair, "Aye aye, sir."  
Two minutes later, they pulled up at College Francois-Dupont. "Well, out you come." Felix said.   
Mari nodded. "Thanks for the ride, Monsieur DelaCoeur. I appreciate it." she got out gracefully and bounded up the steps to where Alya was waiting. Felix watched her go when he realized something- she had forgotten her backpack.  
"Wait!" He called, slamming the car door behind him, and striding up the steps after her.

"Marinette! MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Felix was sprinting up the steps now, taking them two at a time. Marinette had turned at the sound of his frantic screeching. The expression on her face was equal parts amusement and bemusement.  
"Felix? What are you doing?" The polite "Monsieur DelaCoeur" was gone, driven away by her confusion. "Is that my backpack?"  
He reached the top of the stairs and gave her a scathing glare, pushing strands of immaculately groomed hair away from his forehead. "Yes, it is your backpack, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng. I imagine you would have been quite distraught if you had lost it." She reached for it, but he batted her hand away, natural sense of chivalry kicking in. "I've got it. Where's your first class? You're going to be late."  
This was true. Mari looked around and saw the front of the school was empty except for a few frantically sprinting seniors. "SHIT! This way!" She grabbed his free hand again and yanked him down a corridor, shouldering the door open. He barely had time to be taken aback by her swearing, or impressed by her strength. Twists and turns, he skidded after this strange girl clutching her hand like a lifeline. He barely knew her, but he was following her blindly, And he was quite content to do so.  
50 seconds later, Marinette pushed open the door of her classroom. Half the class was already staring at the door, expecting their class president to bust in any second. What they didn't expect was her to followed by a tall, surprised looking 18 year old. "Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, you're late." Madame Bustier shot her an unamused look.  
"NOMADAMEIMACTUALLYNOTBUTIWILLBEEEEEEE!" Marinette plonked herself into her seat just as the bell rang. Felix stood next to her awkwardly and slipped her pink and black backpack off his shoulder.  
"Umm... I'll be going now." he made towards the door, glancing desperately at Marinette. His face screamed 'WHAT DO I DO?'   
"Just a second." Madame Bustier's sharp voice cut through the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle in folks, and get comfy. This is going to be a looong ride.


	3. Chapter 3

"I am afraid, Monsieur, I will have to report you. It is strictly prohibited for non-students to be on campus after the bell rings." Madame Bustier stepped out from behind her desk, reaching for the phone.  
"But, Madame! He's a minor, only 17! You can't possibly-" Marinette's fervent protests were cut off by Felix's cool voice.  
"Shh, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng. I'll handle this." Felix turned to Madame Bustier. "Madame, do you know who Carmine DelaCoeur is? Award-winning actress, personal friend of the Queen of England?"  
Madame Bustier gasped, shocked by the young man's impudence and randomness. "Mais bien sur, but of course! I've watched all of her films- Dernier Nuit (Last Night in english btw) is my favorite movie of all time! Why do you ask?"  
Felix leaned against Mari's desk, smirking slightly. "Let's just say, I'm sure my darling mother wouldn't be happy to her her only child was threatened by a French school teacher on his supposed "relaxing" visit to Paris. Oh well, can't be helped I suppose. But I must warn you-" Felix looked even smugger- "that the DelaCoeur lawyers are a force to be reckoned with."  
Madame Bustier went white, and it's easy to imagine the frantic apologies spilling from her lips after she realized she had just threatened to report her favorite star's son. Felix accepted them all gracefully, and when he turned to leave, he looked back at Marinette. "Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng." He nodded his head and left, miraculously ignoring Chloe's frantic screeching for an autograph.  
Felix leaned against a wall and huffed a sigh, pushing his pale locks back from his forehead. "Well, that was a strenuous morning," he muttered, then clambered into his car and drove back to the Ritz, where he was staying. Marinette, meanwhile, was lost in thought, reflecting over the events of the day.

DRIIIIINNGGG! The school bell rung and Adrien slid out of his seat, swinging his bag over his shoulder. Waving goodbye to Nino and responding to Alya’s cheery “Au Revoir!,” he stepped out of the door and made his way through the hallways.   
Back in the classroom, Alya nudged Marinette with her elbow. “What’s up with you, Mari? You were so lost in thought thinking about your new boyfriend you didn’t say bye to Adrien!”  
Marinette’s head snapped up. ‘Wha- What? Felix isn’t my boyfriend- and- and OHMYGOODNESS Adrien must have thought I was so rude!” She jumped up and raced out after her longtime crush, waving her arms wildly.  
“Marinette, WAIT! You forgot your backpa- annnd she’s gone.” Alya shook her head fondly and picked up Marinette’s bag. “I’ll go give it to her.” She looked up when a shadow fell over her desk.  
Nino’s face smiled down at her. “That’ll be heavy for you, along with your own backpack. I’ll carry it for you. Why don’t we go out for some coffee while we’re at it.”   
Alya smiled up at her boyfriend. ‘Sure, that sounds great!”


	4. Chapter 4

Outside the school:   
Adrien sauntered down the school steps, enjoying the feeling of the warm Paris sunshine in his face. He finished his climb and pulled his phone out of his pocket, shifting his bag's weight into his left hip as he scrolled through the news. Suddenly, everything went dark as someone threw a scratchy bag over his eyes. Adrien tensed instinctively, his inner Chat Noir ready to fight back when he felt something sharp poke his back. “Don't move.” A girl's voice, slightly accented (what was that? Russian? Italian?) “Or you'll get it right in the lung. “

Adrien nodded, unable to speak because of the breath caught in his throat. “Wha-” his voice out breathy and he coughed, trying again. “What do you want?” he felt himself being steered into a nearby alleyway, a hand clasped tight around his bicep. “My wallet is in the side pocket of my bag, just let me go and I'll give it to you.”  
He felt his back get pressed against a wall and light assaulted his senses as none other than Lila Rossi smirked at him. The Italian girl had returned to Paris after being away for two years, kicking off her new career as a runway model for Agreste Industries. “Oh, Adrien. So naive. I don't want your wallet. I want y-” Thunk.   
A yo-yo slammed into her head, incapacitating her. Ladybug, Paris’s own spotted superhero, jumped off a building and landed gracefully. “Looks like you could use some help.”  
Adrien gasped, a blush tinting his cheeks pink. “Ladybug- thank you!”   
Ladybug solo get head dismissively, coiling up her yo-yo string and snapping it onto her hip. “No need to thank me. It's my job. By the way, a girl named Marinette was looking for you.” Ladybug turned to go. “You might want to find her, I- she's worried.”   
Adrien grabbed her arm. “Wait- Ladybug!” She looked back, an eyebrow quirked, and he rubbed the back of his neck. “Please don't go, Ladybug. You're amazing and… Um… I'd rather spend time with you than plain old Marinette any day!”

Alya smiled at her boyfriend. Nino had insisted on buying her a slice of cake along with her coffee and it sat between them on the tabletop, two forks laying next to it. The cafe was filled with laughter and the sounds of clinking silverware, but the young couple was too wrapped up in each other to notice.Marinette’s backpack lay forgotten at their feet. Suddenly Alya jerked her head up and squinted at a figure in the corner. “Hey, isn’t that Mari’s friend? What’s-his-name, Felix?”  
Nino tilted his head, “Oh, yeah, it is. He’s drinking iced tea- that’s kinda weird. I had him pegged for an espresso kinda guy.”  
Alya smirked at her boyfriend. “You think we should give him Mari’s backpack and ask him to take it to her? He seems to have some free time on his hands.”  
Nino gasped, jerking his head back to stare at her incredulously. “Babe, are you doing what I think you’re doing? And here I was thinking you’re the captain of S.S. Adrinette.”  
Alya sighed and picked up her boyfriend’s hand, playing with his log tanned fingers. “I was, it’s just- I feel Mari doesn’t have a chance, y’know? Adrien’s just too obsessed with Ladybug.”  
Nino raised an eyebrow. “This coming from the Ladyblogger Pot calling the kettle black much?”   
Alya squeaked defensively. “Hey, that’s not fair. He’s on a whole other level- every time I mention our spotted heroine, he practically gets hearts in his eyes, and I’ve never seen him look at Marinette that way before.” Blowing on her steaming coffee, she sighed. “I just… don’t want her to get hurt, that’s all.”  
Nino nodded. “I guess you have a point.” The two turned to smirk at Felix, who was obliviously sipping his tea. “Operation Felinette is in motion.”


	5. Chapter 5

Felix sighed. How on earth had he been roped into doing something for Marinette Dupain-Cheng again? Her odd spectacled friends had thrust her backpack at him, babbling something about “The Dupain-Cheng bakery being kinda far away,” and “if he could possibly take Mari’s backpack to her, as he had a car?” And that was how, for the second time that day, Felix found himself burdened with the pink and black backpack. The small thing was disproportionately heavy, weighed down with textbooks, and he found himself wondering how Ms. Dupain-Cheng could lift it so easily.   
Mari, her friends had called her. The nickname was short, sweet and spunky, just like her, he reflected. Felix shook himself out of his reverie as he pulled up in front of a small shop labeled “The Dupain-Cheng Boulangerie and Patisserie”. They were acquaintances, nothing more. Acquaintances who ran into each other an awful lot (or in his case, ran after her) but acquaintances nonetheless. A small bell rang as he pushed the door open and his nostrils were flooded with the smell of warm bread, melting chocolate, fresh strawberries, and cinnamon. 

“Bonjour!” A petite, middle aged woman greeted him with a warm smile just like Marinette’s, and he realized she must be her mother. “How can I help you?”  
Felix stood there awkwardly, the bag nestled in his arms. “Um, I have this…” he gestured to the bag uncertainly.  
The woman came out from behind the counter, “Oh, you must be one of Marinette’s friends! Do you go to her school? I’ve never seen you before.” She plucked the bag out of his arms (were all the Dupain-Cheng women this strong? he wondered) and stepped out of the bakery into a curtained-off side room. Her voice floated through the velvet curtain. “Can I get you anything?”  
Felix smiled awkwardly. “Um, no thank you, that’s fine. I actually graduated high school last year- your daughter and I just bumped into each other this morning.”  
Marinette’s mother cocked her head. “Oh, a college boy? Well, for someone who barely knows Mari, it was very sweet of you to bring her backpack. Thank you.”  
Felix bowed his head shyly. “It was no problem, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.”  
She shook her head fondly. “Call me Sabine. If you’re leaving, would you like some pastries on the house? It’s a special discount we give to all Marinette’s friends.  
Felix shook his head. “I’m Felix DelaCoeur, and that’s fine ma’am. But-” he hesitated- “I was wondering if I could use your bathroom?’” Curse you, iced tea.  
“Sabine nodded and gestured up a flight of stairs “NIce to meet you Felix, and of course you can. Up the stairs and to the left.”  
Felix climbed up the stairs and was about to push open the robin’s-egg-blue door leading to the bathroom when he stopped and tilted his head. From a pink trapdoor above his head, there emanated a soft gasping sound. His heart clenched as he realized it was sobbing- sobbing obviously coming from Marinette.


	6. Chapter 6

“Miss Dupain-Cheng? Are you there?”Felix awkwardly knocked on the trapdoor and heard the sobbing slow, punctuated by hiccups. 

“F-Felix? Is that you? What are you doing here?” A soft sniffle, and the padding of feet towards the door. Marinette opened it cautiously and Felix gasped inwardly.

Her eyes, so bright blue previously, were now red tinted and puffy. She had changed into a cute pair of pink pajamas and her hair was down, framing a tearstained face. She had pasted a smile on said face, a weak, faltering, obviously fake smile but a good attempt nonetheless. Looking past her, Felix saw the curtains were drawn, and a tub of melting ice cream was set outside a pillow fort. The girl was obviously heartbroken. Felix softened his tone, looking the girl square in the eye. “Miss Dupain-Cheng- Marinette-” he amended, “are you quite all right?” 

Marinette broke into tears, hurling herself at his chest like a frightened child. Instinctively, Felix wrapped his arms around her protectively, thinking about what a contrast this girl was to the one he had met this morning. “There, there,” he patted her head awkwardly. “Erm, it'll be alright.” Marinette’s sobbing refused to cease and he half carried, half pushed her over to the pile of blankets. Turning around, his eyes scanned the room and lit on a box of tissues, which he approached. He stopped. In his way was a giant pile of posters, ripped and shredded beyond recognition. He caught a glimpse of the butterfly logo of Agreste Industries, but other than that, the contents of the poster were indiscernible. Felix shook his head slightly and high-stepped over the poster, bringing the tissues back to Marinette. the tissues over and handed one to Marinette, awkwardly rubbing her back. “Would you like me to call your friend? The one with-” he made vague circular shapes around his eyes. “The- how do you call them- glasses?”   
Marinette cracked a shaky smile. ‘Did you just speak English, Monsieur Felix? Is French not your first language?” She blew her nose with an undignified trumpet noise, and balled the tissue up, tossing it into the wastebasket on the other side of the room and reaching for another one to dab at her eyes.

Felix, reluctant to talk about himself, was about to make an excuse when he noticed how tense and hunched her shoulders were, how tightly she gripped the tissue in slightly trembling fingers. She might be smiling, but that could go back to sobbing any second, he knew. Alright then, he sighed. Time to tell this girl about myself.   
“Well, no. As you probably know, my mother is originally from London. My father, on the other hand, is from Nice- an oil baron’s son.” Fiddling with the cuff of his shirt, Felix snuck a glance at Marinette from the corner of his eye. She was breathing deeply, tearing the tissue into strips, which she braided with nimble fingers. He figured he should probably go back to speaking and cleared his throat, settling back on his heels. “A-after my father and mother got married, I was born in about a year. My father, already laden with responsibilities from his inheritance, decided we were too much baggage. A few months in court, some money exchanging hands- and my mother, a budding actress, and I were cast adrift, to live in her homeland. He did give her enough money to support us for about three years, though. That was something.” 

Marinette gasped. “Oh. Oh, Felix, I am so sorry.” She reached out a tentative hand and touched his shoulder. ‘Come here.” Felix shot her a questioning glance as she scooted to the side and lifted up a bit of blanket. Stiffly, he slid next to her and arranged the blanket over their legs, silently passing her another tissue to add to her lengthening braid. Marinette shot him a tearful smile, but this one seemed a bit more sincere. “Look at us- what a pair of fools, huh? We’ve just met and here we are spilling out emotions like broken chinaware to each other.”

Felix quirked an eyebrow. “I guess you’re right, but, Mademoiselle Dupain Cheng-”

“Marinette.” She corrected. “I think we’re at that point now.”

“Well, Marinette, you never did tell me what was wrong with you.” Her breath hitched and he looked over, panic flitting across his usually grim face. “I- I mean, you don’t have to! I just thought you might feel better.” Her face was blank and he buried his face in his hands, uncharacteristically flustered. 

Marinette patted his shoulder, face still blank. “It’s… fine. And I’ll tell you, just give me a moment.” Her eyes roamed the room, lighting on the ice cream tub. “How about you go put that downstairs before it melts?” 

Felix got up and picked up the tub, climbing down her ladder and shutting the trap door softly. Today had been the most extraordinary day. Bump! He ran into someone’s chest and looked up, fear involuntarily crossing his face. A man stood in front of him, a huge man, with forearms that looked like they could suffocate an ox. His brown hair seemed to stand on edge like the hackles of an angry dog and his hazel eyes glinted dangerously. “Who are you, young man, and why are you coming out of my daughter’s room?” 

Felix backed up nervously, his back hitting the wall, Marinette’s trapdoor above his head. “I- um- I’m-”

“PAPA!” Marinette flung open her trapdoor. “Leave Felix alooooo-” Her voice trailed off as her foot caught in some blankets and she tumbled through the trapdoor. Instinctively, Felix stepped forwards and caught her princess-style, cradling her petite frame in his arms. She shot him a smile and a soft, “thank you” then turned her head towards her father, shooting him a glare ten times more terrifying than the one he had been giving Felix a few seconds ago. “Papa, Felix is my friend. Be nice to him.”

THe enormous man’s face broke into a wide smile. “Oh, you’re one of Marinette’s friends? Why didn’t you say so? That’s fine then, carry on!” He reached out an enormous, saucepan sized hand and ruffled Felix’s hair. “I’ll take this-” he bent down and picked up the ice-cream where Felix had dropped it, the tub looking like a thimble in his enormous fingers. “And leave you kids alone. Au revoir, cherie!” The enormous man gave his daughter an adoring smile and trooped off.

Both teenagers sighed and relaxed then tensed again. Marinette squeaked and attempted to jump out of Felix’s arms as he tried to put her down and they landed on the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. Felix opened his eyes warily and saw Marinette below him, her eyes still shut tight. His hair brushed her nose and her eyes opened, cheeks flushing and a small smile crossing her face. “That tickles..” Pulling a hand out from underneath herself, she brushed his bangs aside. Felix was frozen, hardly daring to breathe, much less move, for fear of crushing the petite girl beneath him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just so you know, Marinette doesn't want to tell Alya just because she doesn't want to 1) have to explain where she heard Adrien's little oops and 2) she doesn't want sun child to be beaten up.


	7. Chapter 7

ou okay there, kiddos? We heard a thump!” Sabine’s voice floated up the stairs and broke both teenagers out of their spell. They scrambled apart, Felix smoothing down his gray tie and waistcoat.

“W-we’re fine, Mama!” I just dropped a shirt, that’s all!” Marinette’s pigtails were adorably disheveled, strands of hair coming loose and framing her face.

Sabine, increduously yelled, “That sounded a bit heavy for a shirt, Ma petite,” and Marinette pouted back adorably.  
Biting back a chuckle (he had never had so much trouble keeping a poker face since he’d met Marinette Dupain-Cheng) Felix called down in a deadpan tone, “That’s because she just happened to be in the shirt at the time it fell, Madame!”   
He was rewarded with a chuckle and a gentle, “Call me Sabine, Felix.”  
Marinette lightly swatted his arm.”Hey,you’re the one who dropped me in the first place.”  
Felix, struggling for a good comeback, had trouble finding one. She was right, after all. “Well, you’re the one who called me 17 in the morning! D’you think I was driving illegally? I turned 18 this January, thank you very much!”  
She scrunched up her nose and conceded his point. ‘I suppose that’s true, I was just scrambling to protect you from Madame Bustier. Instinct, I guess. Sorry.”  
Felix painted his face with the most grim expression he had in his repertoire, which was quite formidable. “Hmm,” he wondered, stroking his chin. “Should I forgive this strange girl who’s been nothing but trouble for me?” He shot her an appraising glance and her eyes darkened, taking up the challenge.  
You want to be like that, do you? Well, Monsieur DelaCoeur, two can play at that game. “Hmm, as a matter of fact, you’re right,” Felix shot her a surprised raise of his eyebrows- “Maybe I should trust an adult who lured me into his remarkably slow-moving car, who could have taken advantage of little 17 year old me.” She batted her eyelashes innocently.  
Felix flushed, from the tips of his ears all the way into his collar. “W-what- I would never- I mean- I- oh, kill me.” The normally taciturn boy buried his face in his hands.  
Marinette lay a small hand on his shoulder comfortingly, “Look, Felix, I’m joking. I’m actually really thankful to you. In fact, how about you stay for dinner? My parents love feeding people, and I’m sure they’ll be equally thankful when they find out what you did for me.”

Felix tilted his head and considered drawing a small chuckle from the raven-haired girl next to him. “I’d be happy to stay, I suppo-Hey, what’s so funny?” He shot her a grumpy look. 

Marinette covered her mouth. “I’m sorry- it’s just that when you tilt your head like that, you look like a bird- almost like one of the pigeons in the park.”  
Felix’s scowl deepened. “You mean those pigeons you had an akuma based after?”   
Marinette tapped her chin. “I suppose that’s true- with your ego, maybe you’re more suited as a peacock, huh, Feathers?”  
Felix, secretly pleased with the nickname, cleared his throat and adjusted his tie in an attempt to hide his face. “How immature, Mademoiselle. Are you sure you’re seventeen?”  
Marinete huffed, pretending to be insulted, “I’ll have you know Monsieur, I’m turning 18 in three weeks. April 17.”   
They both gave each other their most imperious stares for a few moments, although Felix had the advantage of being able to stare down his nose. Marinette had to compensate with dangerously flashing eyes. This lasted only a matter of seconds, until Marinette broke down in giggles and Felix allowed himself a small smirk. “Well, Marinette-” he tried the name hesitantly, turning it over on his tongue, spurred on by her encouraging smile. “It appears we can’t stay mad at each other for long.”   
Marinette bit her tongue to stop her giggles. “I guess that’s true, Feathers. Why don’t you go downstairs and get ready for dinner, I’ll just be a moment- I want to change into something more comfortable. Ooh, you know what’d be fun? We could watch a Disney movie! What’s your favorite one?”  
Felix crinkled his nose. “I’ve never watched one. Those are for children.”  
Marinette gasped, aghast. “But you must have been a little bird once, Feathers. And what kind of childhood doesn’t have Disney movies?”  
Felix tapped her nose daringly. “A perfectly satisfactory one, merci beaucoup.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were you hoping for a kiss? Oh, sorry.


	8. Chapter 8

Felix tapped her nose daringly. “A perfectly satisfactory one, merci beaucoup.” With that, he turned and headed downstairs, Sabine turned to him with a beaming smile. “Ah, Felix! You're staying for dinner, I presume?”  
Felix looked down, bashful. “Well, your daughter invited me, but if it's too much trouble, I can eat at the hotel…”  
He trailed off uncertainly at the look of horror on Sabine's face. “Hotel? Are you all alone?”  
Felix nodded. “Oui, my mother is shooting a movie back in London. Paris, for me, is just a pitstop- I'm actually going to be visiting my father in Nice soon.” He staggered forward as a huge hand clapped his back, sending him stumbling forwards a few paces.   
“Nonsense, my boy! No friend of our daughter will eat in a hotel, alone! As long as you're here, you must come and eat with us.” Tom grinned down at the blond boy.   
Felix shyly nodded assent, too afraid to deny the offer, and Sabine began to lay another place at the Dupain-Cheng’s roomy oak table. Felix stepped forwards anxiously, reaching his hands out uncertainly. “Madame, is there anything I can help you with? I don’t want to be a burden.”  
Sabine smiled at him with motherly affection. “That’s very sweet of you, Felix. Why don’t you bring in the soup from the kitchen?” She pointed to the kitchen and Felix went in, seeing a large pot of french onion soup bubbling on the stovetop, letting out heavenly fumes. Stomach growling, he turned off the flame and grabbed a light blue towel, using it to shield his hands from the pot’s heat.  
He carried the soup into the dining room- and nearly dropped it. Marinette was there, wearing a pair of high-waisted denim shorts and a pale pink shirt. She had combed her hair, pulling it back with a hairband, and washed her face, the red tint leaving her eyes. A blush struggled with Felix and eventually overpowered him, coating his face as he tried to avoid staring at her very long legs. Be a gentlemen, Felix. He scolded himself. It’s just a pair of legs. He ducked his head and placed the soup on the table, then ran back into the kitchen to replace the towel and calm his flushed face.  
A few moments later, he returned and found himself seated from Marinette, across from Sabine who had Tom next to her. Marinette gave him an amused look. “Are you quite alright, Felix?”  
He cleared his throat and adjusted his necktie, inhaling through his nostrils. “Perfectly fine, thank you, Marinette. I’d be even better, however, if I could have some of that soup.” He looked hopefully at Sabine, who was holding the ladle, having served herself and her husband. She broke out laughing and was about to give him some when he tilted his head towards Marinette, who looked equally hungry “Please, ladies first.”  
Sabine gave him a fond smile and made sure to give him an extra ladleful, as Tom handed out pieces of bread. Felix’s fear of the giant man dimmed, replaced with curiosity, as the brunet teasingly held the bread out of reach of his petite daughter’s arm. “Papaa!” Marinette pouted, jumping in attempt to reach the warm, crusty slice of golden brown goodness in her father’s fingers.   
Sabine merely blew on her soup, used to her loved one’s antics. After thirty seconds of neither side relenting, she cracked an eye open and looked at Felix. “Maybe you should help her, tall one?”  
Even reticent Felix had to crack a smile- Sabine was even smaller than her petite daughter; she couldn’t have been taller than five feet. “Certainly, Madame.” Putting his napkin on the table, he got up and approached, motioning to Marinette. “May I?’” The question was aimed not only at the girl but also at her father, who nodded, his eyes crinkling in appreciation of the boy’s respectful nature.  
Marinette grinned at him. “Finally! Someone who cares!” She shot a pointed glare at her mother, who smirked and took a bite of her baguette. Felix buckled in surprise as Marinette scrambled up his 6’1” frame, when she herself couldn’t have been more than 5’3” and perched on his shoulders. His brain short-circuited as he tried to think of any place he could steady her without violating her personal space, and settled for reaching his hands above his head and placing them on her trim waist. “Onwards!” Marinette cried, thrusting her arm in the air and he stepped forwards, easily carrying her weight. With a triumphant giggle, Marinette grabbed her baguette and Tom groaned in pretend disappointment. Her giggle turned to a squeak of surprise as Felix bent to one knee and lifted her over his head, setting her on the ground and brushing himself off.   
They resumed their seats and dug in, enjoying the warm, savory soup filled with creamy potatoes and slow-simmered beef. Felix, restraining a moan, turned to Sabine. “This is delicious, Madame. Thank you very much. The bread is most enjoyable as well.” Tom and Sabine nodded their gratitude and Marinette looked at him a mischievous glint in her eyes.  
“Delicious, huh?” She reached over and plucked the bread from his fingers and took a bite. “I guess I needed another taste.” Brushing off crumbs, she replaced his bread and laughed at his shell-shocked expression. “Calm down, Felix- you need to loosen up if you’ll be our guest for the next few weeks. And, speaking of loosening up, that move you did was incredible!” Her parents nodded in agreement and tom leaned forward.  
“Are you a dancer, Felix? Or a gymnast, perhaps?”  
Felix, looked at his plate, embarrassed. “Well, I do a little ballet, but I actually ice-skate back in England.” He was overloaded with a fountain of admiration from the Dupain-Chengs and he reflected inwardly about how nice it was to have dinner like this, with a whole family. The entire dinner passed like this, Marinette proposing a game in which they went around the table and told a lesser-known fact about themselves. Sabine had, apparently, spilled all the tea on one of her great-aunts. Tom’ s first pet had been a tiny rabbit by the name of Fluffy. A brief moment of panic crossed Marinette’s face as she searched for a secret, apart from her obvious one. She felt a tiny nudge and looked down- Tikki was peeking out of her pocket and mouthing “ballet.”  
Marinette looked up. “I’ve got one! I used to do ballet until I was 11,” she cut off her parents, who had opened their mouths simultaneously, “yes, I know you know this, but here’s something new. The reason I dropped out-” she lowered her voice and looked down furtively, appearing very serious. Felix was almost worried until she slipped him a wink. “-was because I HATED getting up early.”   
With that, the game concluded, Tom and Sabine breaking into belly-aching laughter. After clearing up the table, Sabine glanced at the clock, which read 7;12. “Marinette, you wanted to show your friend a movie, didn’t you? You’d better start it now if he wants to get back to the hotel by half past nine!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, family fun :) My poor shy child- Mari's gonna kill him


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pure Fluff. Feel free to come and talk on tumblr- I have the same username, socksareforcavemen!

Marinette nodded and grabbed Felix by the hand, causing her parents to chuckle at the stiff look on the boy’s face. “Come on, Feathers! I’m thinking a classic…Bambi? 101 Dalmatians? Ooh, I got it! Lady and the Tramp!” As she spoke, Marinette had been flitting around the room, pulling cushions into a pile on the floor and dragging Felix. He couldn’t help but admire the petite girl’s energy as she spun around him, layering colorful pastel blankets on the floor like flower petals, then popping a disk in the player. He was content to simply stand in place and watch, letting her use his arm as a line to support herself as she compiled their pillow fort with dizzying speed. “And there!” Marinette released his hand and Felix felt a pang, even though his usual taciturn expression gave nothing away. A slightly lopsided pillow fort was in front of them, fluffy turquoise and purple blankets held up by sofa cushion walls surrounding soft pillows on the floor covered with a fluffy blanket. She directed her beaming smile at Felix and asked him, “So, what do you think?”  
Felix hid his admiration for her creativity with a raised eyebrow. ‘Very nice, but was the mess necessary? Couldn’t we have watched from a sofa?” Marinette allowed her lower lip to tremble slightly and looked up at him sorrowfully from underneath thick black eyelashes and he sprang forward, grasping her hand guiltily. “I-I mean it’s wonderful! My apologies, Madem- Marinette.”   
A burst of music startled them both and Marinette fell forward, her ankle getting caught in the blankets. Felix caught her and together, they tumbled into the fort with a chorus of “ows” and “eeps”. After untangling their limbs in the dark of the fort, they peeked out and saw a brown dog walking across the screen. Marinette hurriedly fixed the fort and pulled Felix onto a large gray pillow and placed a finger on his lips when he began to speak. “Shh- the movie’s starting.”   
The next half hour passed in silence, Marinette instinctively curling up to the nearest source of warmth- Felix. He tried to ignore her legs, which she sleepily tucked over his. He kept his hands respectively on the floor. Sabine peeked in and smiled at the sight of her daughter, who was nodding off. “She’s had a long day, but I’m glad you were here, Felix.Without you, I’m not sure how long that would have lasted. Thank you.”   
Felix smiled wanly. “It’s the least I can do. I was-” he let out a shaky breath “extremely nervous about being here and meeting my father, though you might not have been able to tell, and somehow, Marinette took a lot of my tension away. Your daughter is an amazing person.” He looked down, the tips of his ears turning red.  
Sabine gave him a fond pat and a fluffy mint green blanket to cover their legs. She ducked into the kitchen and found Tom there, sipping hot chocolate. She poured herself a cup. “Tom?” she turned to the large man, leaning back against their kitchen counter.  
“Yes?” Her husband smiled at her fondly, his large, calloused hands grasping the cup that looked like a doll’s toy in his fingers.   
“I think the Agreste boy has competition.”   
Tom walked over to her and placed an arm around her shoulders, tugging her close as the two adults peered in on the drowsy teenagers. “I’m afraid, Sabine, from how Mari was acting, that he was never interested in running in the race at all.”  
At around 8:30, Marinette woke up, pushing her bangs out of her eyes to see the credits rolling down the screen. She yawned at stretched, pausing at the warmth under her legs. Slowly, Marinette turned to look at Felix- the tall boy was sleeping soundly, his face free of its usual grim expression. For lack of a better word, Marinette found it endearing- childlike even. She could hear soft voices and clinking from the kitchen as her parents readied the bread dough for the next morning, which needed to rise overnight. Aware of the time, Marinette slipped her legs off Felix’s knees in a fluid motion, nudging his shoulder gently. “Feathers- time to wake up.” Marinette kept her voice gentle and sing-songy, so as not to startle her drowsy friend.  
Felix blinked and stirred, running a hand through his hair. “What time is it?” He looked around sleepily and Marinette giggled at his ruffled bedhead.  
“Half past eight. You’d better get going.” The two of them climbed out of the fort and began clearing it up, swiftly folding the blankets and replacing the pillows. Marinette laughed at Felix’s look of confusion as he attempted to fold a blanket that had two ends stitched together, resulting in it repeatedly turning itself inside out. “I did that when I was eight- Maman refused to let me use her sewing machine so I sneakily did that when she was busy with a customer.”  
Felix glanced up at her, newfound admiration in his eyes as he wrestled the blanket into something remotely resembling a square. “You sew?”   
Marinette nodded. “Yes, just a bit.” Felix had no doubt she was giving herself less credit than was due and was about to remark on the fact when Marinette raised her voice and called, “Maman! Papa! Felix is leaving, come and say goodbye!”  
The Dupain-Chengs showed up in a flash, Sabine wrapping Felix up in his coat as Marinette attempted to finger-comb his bedhead into something presentable. Tom pressed a bag of pastries into his hand “just in case the hotel breakfast wasn’t to his liking,” and as Felix stepped out the door onto the chilly street, he couldn’t help but throw back a glance at the warm, cheery house and the kind-hearted family who stood there waving at him.


	10. Chapter 10

2 weeks, 6 days later…  
In the weeks following that day, Felix had become a regular face in the Dupain-Cheng household. More often than not he slept in the guest room and helped out around the bakery while Marinette was at school. Sabine and Tom had slowly accepted the fact that Adrien was probably out of the picture, consoling themselves with the fact their future grandchildren would still be adorable and blond. Indeed, Sabine mused, they might even have better bone structure with Felix’s blood running through their veins. Tom just sighed and asked her to stop plotting their future grandchildren’s appearances and help him ice the wedding cake he was working on. Though he privately agreed with her and even surprised Felix by grabbing his jaw gently and hmm-ing thoughtfully.   
They became used to his presence, slowly chipping away at his icy shell with their sunny daughter's help. Tom and Felix bonded over the struggles of being tall, continuously bumping their heads on things while Marinette and Sabine tried (and failed) to restrain their laughter. Sabine taught Felix secrets of cake decorating and tart baking, his long nimble fingers proving adept at shaping gum paste flowers and lattice pie crusts, as well as handling rude customers. In the words of Marinette after Chloe came into the shop just to bombard Felix with questions about his mother, “No shits were given.” It was hard to be rude to a brick wall.  
And Marinette? Marinette found herself clicking with Felix in a way she had never clicked with anyone before, and vice versa. Around her, Felix found his grim face softening more than he'd like- her even caught himself smiling as she got icing smudged on her nose. Tom had waggled his bushy eyebrows at the boy, causing him to blush and clear his throat as his brow furrowed. Felix's revelation came to him two days before Marinette’s birthday- she had accidentally burnt herself on the oven and let out a piercing cry, startling the living daylights out of Felix; Tom and Sabine were out on a supply run and the house has been relatively quiet. Sick with worry, he rushed over only to find her capably bandaging her hand while a tray of perfectly baked cupcakes cooled in the background. He collapsed against the door frame as he had rushed down the stairs three at a time. Marinette looked up in surprise. “Felix? What are you doing here? Weren't you upstairs just a second ago?”  
Felix nodded and came over, taking her hand gently and inspecting it in a way that was a stark contrast to his gruff demeanor. “I was, but I heard you and I thought you were seriously hurt.” He gave a sigh of relief and dropped her hand, crossing over to the oven and turning it off. A small frown stayed fixed on his face. “But you're fine. I'm… glad.” Turning away to hide his face, which her suspected showed more emotion than he liked, he cleared his throat. “Now go get ready- aren't you going to what's-her-name- Alya’s house since it's your birthday soon? I'll drop you off you want.”  
Marinette, who had been looking down at her bandaged hand, looked up. “All right, thank you.” She shot him one of her dazzling smiles and headed upstairs.   
A queer feeling settled in the pit of Felix's stomach and he instinctively reached up to fiddle with his tie, which he did while flustered- only to find an apron. Felix leaned back against the counter and took a deep breath smoothing his features out into their mask of apathy and banishing his blush as best he could. What was that?   
\----------------------  
A few blocks away, in a small, oriental looking healer's shop, Wayzz stirred and opened the bamboo screen door of the main parlor and ensuring it was empty. He then flew in and settled on Master Fu’s head. “Master? Did you feel that?”   
Fu nodded. “The black cat and ladybug miraculouses are no longer aligned... Something else now lies in the future…”  
Wayzz flew over to the brown box I'm the corner. “If I'm not mistaken - it's the peacock Miraculous.”  
Fu stood up and walked to the window. “It had to be the one we don't have.” He and his kwamii stared into the distance at the Agreste mansion. “Wayzz, I think we have a mission.”  
The little green kwamii gave a happy grin. “Just say the word.”  
“Wayzz- shell out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *mission impossible music plays* The next chapter i going to be good! Come talk to me on tumblr (same name as here)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *shakes head* poor, poor, wayzz... (aka master fu is slightly high)

A bulky, dark figure dropped into the alley behind the Agreste mansion, barely making a sound as it leaned against a wall, catching its breath. A vibrant flash of green light illuminated the space, sparkling and reflecting off the puddles like millions of tiny emeralds. Wayzz fell from the sky into Master Fu’s outstretched palms, but quickly flitted up in alarm as the latter gave out a tired wheeze. “Wayzz… I think I’m… getting too old for this.’”  
The little kwamii nodded his head. “I agree, Master. Would you like to go back home? Since you didn’t use your power, I believe I have enough energy for a return trip.”  
Fu shook his head vehemently. “No. We’ve come this far; we might as well finish the job. Now here’s the plan- ‘I’ll distract the security cameras while you phase through the walls and get the Peacock miraculous. When you have it, come back out into this alley and give me a signal.”  
Wayzz looked doubtful. “How will you distract them? And what exactly should the signal be?”  
Fu flapped his hand confidently. ‘Just whistle like a bird or something.As for the distraction, I’ll figure something out. All this wisdom has to be good for something, right?” He made a shooing motion and turned away, walking briskly to the large gates of the Agreste mansion.  
Wayzz watched helplessly and whispered. “But Master, I can’t whistle…” then phased into the brick wall.  
Ding-dong. Nathalie Sancoeur rose at the sound of the bell and crossed the entry foyer into a small room that served as the Agreste’s security command center. Leaning forwards, he pressed the button and picked up the small microphone, activating the security cameras at the same time. To her surprise, it was not a fan or milman at the door, but rather a short, elderly man wearing a hideous Hawaiian shirt. Covering her surprise with a cough, Nathalie said “Agreste Industries- what is your business, Monsieur?”  
A look of blank panic crossed the man’s face, and she sighed inwardly. “Monsieur, I am afraid that you will have to make an appointment if you wish to speak to anyone here. Monsieur Agreste has a very busy schedule. Au revoir.”   
She began to turn of the microphone when the man called out “Stop! I have an appointment with Monsieur Agreste!”  
Nathalie cast him a dubious glance, one that he couldn't see but that she felt was necessary nonetheless. “... You do? Alright then, under which name did you file this appointment?” She reached under the desk and pulled out a thick green binder used to keep a backup copy of the company head's itinerary.   
Fu was at a loss; he hadn't expected to get this far. "Wayzz, hurry up!" he whispered under his breath. Then, he turned back to the camera and flashed a nervous smile. “Err- Luigi?”


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> master fu: yes I know fashion just LOOK AT THIS SHIRT amiright  
> nathalie: oh sweet lord

Meanwhile, Wayzz was having a slightly easier time than his chosen. After passing through the wall, his natural guardian senses had led him towards the Miraculous, across the huge, empty foyer and into the study, where he contemplated the safe. “So this is where he kept it, huh?” Wayzz prepared to phase through the safe when he heard a startled, high pitched screech.  
“Wayzz? What are you doing here?” Plagg floated out from behind a large oriental house plant. The cat keamii’s green eyes were alight with curiosity and he clutched a drippy piece of camembert to his chest.   
Wayzz gave the cat kwamii an enigmatic smile. “It's good to see you, Plagg. Post no mind to me- this is official guardian business.” With that, he phased through the safe and hauled the Miraculous out with him, floating back through the foyer. Back in the office, Play blinked, confused, and shot a suspicious look at his cheese before shrugging and swallowing it whole.   
Back outside, Fu was having an extremely difficult time. Passers-by cast curious glances at the small Asian man who appeared to be in a heated debate with a security camera. The conversation went something like this:   
“... Luigi?”   
“Yes, Luigi! I'm here with a fabric company.”  
Nathalie looked through the binder. “I'm sorry, Monsieur. There does not appear to be a Luigi on the list.”  
Fu panicked and bit his lip, thinking. “... That's odd. Maybe it's under Gustave?”  
Nathalie gave a loud sigh. “Monsieur, if you are wasting my time…”  
“No-I swear I'm not. You see, my name is Luigi but I just remembered that my cousin Gustave made the reservation. It's a family business, you see.”  
Nathalie looked over the tops of her glasses. “I see. Well, Monsieur, I'm afraid the only appointment we have with a fabric company today is with someone named André Galouse.”  
Fu mumbled “Hurry up, Wayzz. Just because you're a turtle doesn't mean you need to be slow.”  
Nathalie frowned. “I'm sorry, what?”  
Fu looked up. “Oh, no- I was just saying that André the turtle-that's his nickname- he's my second cousin's wife's stepbrother’s nephew's godfather! We're very good friends, he works at our company:”   
Natalie massaged her temples. “Can you provide any proof of this, Monsieur?”  
“Past.” Wayzz floated into sight near the opening of the alleyway and Fu gave an audible sigh of relief.   
“Of course, let me go get it.” He dashed off, leaving behind a very confused Nathalie, who, when confronted with the real André Galouse half an hour later, let out an exasperated sigh so loud the speakers echoed, leaving the poor man confused and more than a little frightened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't judge it's finals week ;-;

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I love Adrinette so I'm not sure why I'm doing this- partly because I think Adrien is too in love with Ladybug to notice Marinette? And it's SO FUN to write my bubbly child's interactions with Felix the grouch. Thank you for reading, please leave comments!


End file.
